


petrichor

by pyrobun



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Amnesia, Angst, Canon Compliant, Gen, Ghosts, Hurt/Comfort, Kinda, Past Character Death, Post-Manberg-Pogtopia War on Dream Team SMP (Video Blogging RPF), ghostbur is sad :(, no beta we die like wilbur soot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:15:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27720569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pyrobun/pseuds/pyrobun
Summary: Wilbur explores a familiar ravine and comes out with more questions than answers.
Relationships: Dave | Technoblade & Wilbur Soot
Comments: 2
Kudos: 89





	petrichor

**Author's Note:**

> pet·ri·chor: a pleasant smell that frequently accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather.

“Was I the villain in your history?”

Phil was silent for a few seconds. He was standing across from Wilbur, in the center of L’Manberg’s town square. “You… for most of your life, you were the best. However, at some point, you went off the deep end near the end of it,” he said with a note of finality. _This conversation is over, it’s best you don’t ask anymore_. Those were the words left unspoken. Wilbur already knew that what he did when he was alive was terrible. His peers gave him similar looks whenever he passed by them. Looks of regret, wariness, hostility, hatred, and sorrow. 

Wilbur excused himself from his father and decided to go on a walk in order to clear his thoughts. Even though a part of him longed to figure out what happened, he was terrified of finding out. Perhaps it was better to not know what had happened to himself and L’Manberg than to risk remembering and shattering any hopes he had of mending his past relationships. 

The sun hung low in the sky as he found himself standing outside of an open cave, deep in the forest. He isn’t sure how he ended up here, having been so deep in thought. _My feet must’ve taken a life of their own_ , he concluded as he stepped into the cave. It was abandoned by _someone_ , he realized as he pored over the dusty chests leaning against the walls. His eyes landed on a stairwell at the back of the room. Steeling himself, he descended underground. A lingering smell of blood and smoke hung in the air, a scent that was all too familiar for reasons he couldn’t remember why.

When he reached the end of the stairs, he was met with a dimly lit ravine. Old torches mounted on the stone walls flickered softly, ready to finally go out at any moment. It couldn’t have been that long since someone was here, Wilbur realized. He grabbed one of the torches hanging on the walls and began exploring. 

The narrow chasm brought about a wave of nostalgia as Wilbur stopped in a semi-open area. The floor was littered with specks of gunpowder and there was a fence lining one side, looking deeper into the ravine like a balcony. One of the walls featured carefully drawn out letters carved into the stone. When he moved the torch closer, he realized it was a list of names.

_THE PLAN ZONE_

_GUZZLE BROTHERS:_ | _MAN BOIS:_  
---|---  
_WILBUR_  
_FUNDY_  
_QUACKITY_  
_TOMMY_  
_NIKI_  
_TECHNOBLADE_  
_EVERY FUCKING ONE_ |  _SCHLATT_  
_KARL_  
_DREAM_  
  
Wilbur definitely knew who was listed under “Guzzle Brothers,” but the identities of the “Man Bois” eluded him. Thinking too hard about them, especially Schlatt and Dream, made his head hurt, so he turned away and made his way to the bottom of the ravine.

There, he found an entrance to a well lit cave. Inside was tilled dirt void of any seeds or crops. That made sense, though, considering this ravine must’ve been abandoned for quite some time. _Multiple people must’ve been living down here_ , Wilbur realized after taking in how much farmland there was. This was enough to feed at least ten people, give or take. Why would people live here, though, if L’Manberg had enough space for everyone?

He decided not to dwell on that thought and left the cave. To his right was a dead end, so Wilbur ventured left. The faint smell of blood grew stronger as he walked farther down the crevice. Wilbur almost fell face first into a large pit in the ground if not for the shocking sight of dried blood smeared on its walls stopping him in his tracks. His torch fell down into it, illuminating even more dried blood on the floor. A fight had definitely taken place here. But who was fighting?

And why?

What took place in this ravine? It had to have been something awful, judging by the blood. Wilbur couldn’t recall. No, it was more like he didn’t _want_ to remember. Was it really that bad? Perhaps it would be better to forget that he ever came here. However, it was too late now. Questions swirled in his mind, and he grasped out in desperation at the foggy answers. But it was no use, any explanation he had was out of reach.

Sighing in defeat, Wilbur retraced his steps and climbed up the stairwell towards the surface. He wanted nothing more than to return to his small library and curl up by the fireplace while reading _Big Q’s Funny Hoots_. That’d certainly take his mind off of things.

Someone was standing at the entrance of the cave when he got there, their silhouette casting a large shadow on the dusty floor. _Oh, it’s Techno _. Wilbur could recognize that trademark pig mask and royal red cape anywhere.__

__Techno stared at him for a few beats before giving him a curt nod in greeting. “I was wondering if you’d be here.”_ _

__“What are you doing here?” Wilbur asked, slightly waving in response. Was Techno one of the people living in the ravine?_ _

__“Just here to pick up some stuff I left behind,” his brother shrugged, as if the answer was obvious._ _

__Ah, that explained it. Before Wilbur could stop himself, he blurted out, “What happened down there?”_ _

__“Oh, right. Phil told me you didn’t remember anything. I guess it comes with being a ghost and all.”_ _

__“I still remember my happy memories,” Wilbur protested. “And besides, you’re taking this whole ghost thing pretty easily. Don’t you wanna know why I’m like this?” Granted, Wilbur didn’t know the reason why himself._ _

__“I’ve seen you die before, and there’s worse things out there,” was all Techno said as he moved to rummage through chests. “Also, there’s no way my _loving_ older brother would miss out on the opportunity to haunt me from his grave.”_ _

__Wilbur noted the sarcastic tone in Techno’s voice. The two used to be so close together as kids, but now a thick tension seemed to separate them. Did he mess up with Techno when he was alive, like he did with Fundy and Tommy?_ _

__“You didn’t answer my question earlier.” Wilbur crossed his arms and arched a brow, awaiting an answer._ _

__“You said it yourself that you only remember your happy memories. If you forgot about Pogtopia, then I doubt you considered your experience here as something pleasant.” Techno fished out a diamond sword and began inspecting it._ _

__“Pogtopia,” Wilbur echoed, the word familiar yet sour on his tongue. It was a silly sounding name, something Tommy would definitely have come up with whenever they played house. He recalled the names listed under “The Plan Zone.” Were they the ones who lived here? It made the most sense, considering how Techno left some of his belongings behind. And what were they doing down in a ravine of all places? Wilbur’s head throbbed as he stared at the ground, deep in thought._ _

__Techno stood up, items in hand, and began to take his leave. “Let’s have a talk someplace else. I know we both have a lot of explaining to do, but it’s getting dark and I have a lot of horses to feed.”_ _

__Wilbur perked up upon hearing this, feeling conflicted. How much did he _want_ to know about what he did when he was alive? Quackity had accused him of blowing up L’Manberg, and with the smell of smoke and traces of gunpowder coming from a ravine he apparently lived in, it was too easy (and too painful) to put two and two together._ _

__“Where are we going?” he asked instead, following Techno out of the cave. Stars dotted the cloudless night sky, though some of them were obscured by the forest’s canopy. Wilbur must’ve been down in the ravine for longer than he thought._ _

__“My old base. I’m in the process of moving out.”_ _

__“Moving out? Why? Do you not have a house in L’Manberg? I never see you around.”_ _

__“I’m not exactly popular in L’Manberg right now. I’ve never lived there before, either.”_ _

__The answer left Wilbur in a more confused state than he was already in. So, he pressed on with his questions. “What’d you do? Was it bad? Wait, did it involve Alivebur? I’m sorry if it did.”_ _

__At this, Techno paused and turned to look back at the ghost following him. “You don’t have to apologize, you know. You’re different from ‘Alivebur,’ aren’t you?”_ _

__Wilbur nodded. He puffed out his chest a little and said, “But if I want to make up for Alivebur’s mistakes, then it’s best I start apologizing. I think it’s working, anyway. Fundy… looked kind of happy when I gave him back his armor.”_ _

__Techno let out a resigned sigh and continued walking. “If you’re really, _really_ sure that you want to know about what happened in L’Manberg, I’ll tell you.” _ _

__Wilbur opened his mouth, then closed it again. Was this the right thing to do? He had never been too interested in learning about why L’Manberg was a crater until he stumbled upon the ravine—no, Pogtopia, was it?—and found that list of names and the pit. Wilbur belatedly realized that he was _shaking_. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes, as if his body was subconsciously telling him to stop. But he pressed on. If he wanted to deal with the consequences of his actions, then he had to at least know what they were._ _

__“I’m sure.”_ _

__Techno nodded and was silent as he led Wilbur to a small clearing near the edge of the riverbank. He set down his items and sat leaning against a tree, gesturing for his brother to do the same. “First off, how much do you remember?”_ _

__“I remember… winning the revolution. Then there was an election that I won. After that—”_ _

__“You didn’t win the election,” Techno interrupted. Before Wilbur could comment, he continued. “Schlatt did, and banished you and Tommy.”_ _

__He lost? To someone named Schlatt?_ _

__That’s right, Schlatt was listed under “Man Bois” on that wall in Pogtopia. So were those people the enemies? He could remember hearing of Karl now, he was the one who lived in the house with the garden near L’Manberg’s podium. Whoever Schlatt and Dream were, though, he couldn’t recall._ _

__Techno was still explaining everything, but Wilbur was hardly paying attention at this point. His mind was in turmoil, fighting a civil war of whether or not it was right to remember. However, Techno’s next words sent him crashing back into reality._ _

__“One day you came back to Pogtopia holding a bunch of TNT. Tommy looked pretty furious next to you, ranting about how you teamed up with Dream to plot the destruction of Manberg.”_ _

__“Did we…” Wilbur’s voice was hoarse. “Did we succeed?”_ _

__He desperately wished that he didn’t already know the answer._ _

__“...Yeah. You did.”_ _

__Wilbur was crying now. He wasn’t sure how long he had kept in those tears, but they flooded out of him, dripping down his pale, semi-transparent face. A face that didn’t belong to someone that was alive anymore. A face that had belonged to someone who blew up his home._ _

__Techno hovered his arm around Wilbur’s shoulder in an awkward attempt at an embrace. He couldn’t exactly touch something that wasn’t corporeal, so it was close enough. Wilbur appreciated the gesture all the same._ _

__The only sound that could be heard for a few minutes were the sounds of a spirit crying._ _

__Eventually Wilbur rubbed his eyes and quietly whispered, “Thank you.”_ _

__“What are you going to do now?” Techno hummed softly, trying not to disrupt the silent atmosphere._ _

__“Same thing I’ve always been doing, I guess. Make amends with my son and with my country. Though I suppose it isn’t _my_ country anymore.”_ _

__“I think Phil would be proud of you for wanting to make a change, for what it’s worth.”_ _

__“It only took me dying a third time.”_ _

__Techno laughed. “I’m glad you’re back, though, even if you _are_ a ghost now. Just don’t haunt me or anything, okay?”_ _

__Wilbur grinned, wiping away the last of his tears. “No promises.”_ _

__His smile faltered as he reminisced about his childhood. Hanging out with his brothers without a care in the world… he could remember a scene like this as if it was just yesterday._ _

__Maybe one day, he could spend time like this with Fundy. The two of them could make small talk about unimportant topics and laugh at jokes that weren’t particularly too funny. They could forget about their troubles, if only for a day._ _

__It wasn’t too late for him to make amends with his family. Wilbur, satisfied with that conclusion, rose to his feet._ _

__He bid Techno goodbye and headed back to L’Manberg. He was going to help rebuild what he destroyed. He was going to stop running and to face his consequences head on. He'd do things right this time._ _

__Then maybe, just maybe, his son would look him in the eyes again, and tell him about how much he loved his father._ _

**Author's Note:**

> didn't want to make this too angsty bc there's already enough ghostbur angst fics out there haha
> 
> this is my first dreamsmp fic so sorry if the characters felt a bit ooc at times, after wilbur ended his stream in pogtopia i knew i had to write something about it
> 
> tumblr: pyrobun


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